GN Crossword No1/73

Due to the success of the crossword we published in our Christmas issue and the large number of requests we have received for further ones, we are pleased to announce that we will be printing a brand new crossword in each of our editions in the coming months.

Clues — Across

1 & 26ac Your joint hosts at THEBES (7, 7)4 Preparing to drink, British Rail (Eastern) take to the air! (7)7 Desirable conveyance in N.Y.? (6,3)9 No organised physical structure here (9)11 Austrian sound example (5)12 Pay out or add a penny for evacuation (5)14 Communication delivered by a fairy? (3,6)16 Auctioneer’s trifle or descriptive of certain gay bar lizards (6,3)17 Do rent boys also have these? (5)19 Cuddly but could be arsonists (you heard!) (5)21 Variety of 19ac has this and no need of reservations in America (5,4)23 Love Goddess names desire inducer (9)25 Puts into a sheath perhaps (7)26 See lac

Clues — Down

1 Read Gay News in bed here – magician and American army will look after you! (7)2 Still there at closing time? What a hash next day! (4,5)3 Love a bit of a bird on the slate? (5)4 Lean on this or it may keep you out (3)5 We’re plus one as this passes – always sounds too wise to a listener (5,4)6 Inside washer? (7)8 Acid loses half an occasional gay irritant (3)10 Vehicle and French show omission (5)13 End selection – pull along and indicate the South (4,5)14 “With courage high and hearts ……. they galloped roaring through the town” (Belloc) (not much silver?) (5)15 “’av a cuppa” in Belgravia? (2,4,3)16 A hundred seamen go to the Far East for the cost of transport (3,4)18 These pleasures the best in self indulgence … (7)20 Smoking remains of a tree (3)22 … moral view of 18ac (5)24 After this, Monty Python’s Flying Circus (3)